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Camus, Albert - American Journals (Abacus, 1990) PDF
Camus, Albert - American Journals (Abacus, 1990) PDF
American Journals
Translation by Hugh Levick
(ABACUS)
AN ABACUS BOOK
7
8 • AMERICAN JOURNALS
11
12 • AMERICAN JOURNALS
R. Qui lliot
• A M E R I C A. D E P A R T U R E .
19
20 • AMERICAN JOURNALS
"That's wonderful!"
TH E UN ITED STATES • 21
• T O W O RK.
• l 0 A. M. T u E s D A y.
The night was short but good. This morn ing it's
raining and the sea is swel ling. The bar is practi
cally empty. I work in peace. The Atlantic is the
color of a pigeon's wing. Before lunch I lie down,
my stomach a little upset, and after sleeping for
half an hour, I wake up fresh as a daisy. A t lunch
some abstentions. Our Lorette stays in her bunk
all day. The Mexicans leave the table before the
end of the meal. Mme. D., R. and I enjoy a
friendly chat. But R. is a little uncomfortable and
goes to lie dow n . And even though I feel fine, I do
the same. I feel too sluggish to work. But I do read
War and Peace. How I would have been i n love
with Natasha!
• W E D N E S D A Y.
• T H U R S DA Y.
• FRIDAY.
• F R I DA Y. S A T U RDA Y. S U N DAY.
• M O N DA Y.
• S U N DA Y.
• M 0 N DA Y.
• T U E S DA Y.
• WE D N E S D A Y.
• T H U R S D A Y.
• F R I D A Y.
• S A T U R D A Y.
• SUN D A Y.
• M 0 N D A Y M 0 R N I N G.
• T U E S D A Y.
• S U N D A Y.
• M ON D A Y .
• 1 9 APR I L.
• F R 0 M N E W Y 0 R K T0 C A N A D A.
Tarrou :-Yes.
THE UN ITED STATES • '5 3
A T S E A.
• 30 JUNE
57
58 • AMERICAN JOURNALS
•J ULY 1 ST
•J ULY 2
•J ULY 3
diaries where many thi ngs enchant me, but not the
side of h i m that's like a constipated swa n . And
above all I prefer this neat l ittle cab i n , this hard
b u n k , and this destitution . Either this stripped
down sol itude or the storm of love-noth i n g else
i n the world i n terests me. Have I forgotten any
thing? I don ' t t h i n k so. As usual I fi n ish the day
before the sea , sumptuous this even i n g beneath
the moon , which writes A rab symbols with phos
phorescen t streaks on the slow swells. There is no
end to the sky and the waters. How well they ac
company sadness!
•JULY 4
Good n i gh t .
•J ULY 5
•J ULY 6
•JULY 7
o J ULY 8
JULY 9
•J ULY 1 0
•JU LY 1 1
•JULY 1 2
•J ULY 1 3
•J ULY 1 4
•JULY 1 5
Ah yes!
Ah!
•J ULY 1 6
G a i l y l i t up by m u l t icolored signs, t h e l i t t l e
pedestrian streets a r e h a rbors of peace n e a r t h e
large arteries w i t h their growl i n g traffic. A s i f, be
tween Concord e , the M adelei n e , and the Avenue
de I ' Opera , no cars were a l lowed on the rue St.
Honore. The flower market. L i t t l e bar where you
drink " l i t t l e coffees" seated on m i n iscule c h a i r s .
Moorish h o u s e s next to s kyscrape rs. Next Barleto
makes me take a l i ttle tramway t h a t c l i mbs a steep
path up the c i t y ' s h i l l s . We reach a n e i g h borhood
-at once poor and l u x urious-that looks out
over the city. A t dusk the city extends to the hori
zon . Above her a m u l t i tude of colored signs stand
84 • A MER ICAN JOURNALS
• A M A C U M B A , I N B R A Z I V5
Caxias, w h i c h makes m e t h i n k of a v i l l a ge fa i r fu l l
o f stands. W e stop a t t h e v i l l a ge square where
there are a l ready about t w e n t y cars a n d many
more people t h a n we had i m a g i n e d . N o soo ner
have we stopped t h a n a you n g m u l atto comes up
to m e , offers m e a b o t t l e of aguard i e n t e , a n d a s k s
86 • AMERICAN JOURNALS
He arrives in moonlight
He leaves in sunlight
and continues:
•J ULY I 7
•J ULY 1 8
•JULY 1 9
•J ULY 20
•J ULY 2 1
•JULY 2 2
•JULY 2 3
• J U L Y 2 4 (S U N D A Y)
•J U LY 2 5
•JULY 26
•J ULY 2 7
•J ULY 2 8
•J ULY 2 9
•JULY 3 0 AND 3 1
• AUGUST 1
• AUGUST 2
• AUGUST 3
AUGUST 4
• AUGUST 6
• AUGUST 7
• AUGUST S
• AUGUST 9
• AUGUST 1 0
• AUGUST l l
• AUGUST 1 2
• AUGUST 1 3
• AUGUST 1 4
• AUGUST 1 �
• AUGUST 1 6
• AUGUST 1 7
• AUGUST 1 8
• AUGUST 1 9
• AUGUST 20
• AUGUST 2 1
• AUGUST 2 2
• AUGUST 2 3
• AUGUST 2 4
• AUGUST 2 5
• AUGUST 26 AND 2 7
• AUGUST 3 1
1 43
1 44 • A MER ICAN JOURNALS
1 45
1 46 • AMERICAN JOURNALS
1 49
1 50 • AMERICAN JOURNALS
155